Frederick the Scarlet
Frederick Harker is a cripple and former Scarlet Crusader from Tyr's Hand, now serving in the Household Guard of Thane Aref Corelas. A devout convert to the Reformist Church and a mentor to its Poor Knights, he is a significant figure in the Northern Hills and played a prominent role in the Second Arathi Civil War, known for his loyalty and for his fearsome ability with the sword. This article is a placeholder. Appearance Standing at just over six feet at his full height, Frederick was once an imposing figure, but age and warfare have not been kind to him. With his back near permanently hunched, he now stands at only five feet and nine inches; worse still, his once proportioned and elegant body has been deeply marred. His left arm is gone, leaving nothing but a stump, once half his upper arm, poorly healed and ugly with thick scarring. The muscles of his shoulders on that side have wasted somewhat, for all his efforts, and so he appears lop-sided, as if he slumps constantly to that side. His face has suffered the same fate. Once striking and noble features are scarred and deeply lined, the skin discoloured from long exposure to the toxins of the Scourge-lands. His aquiline nose has been broken at least twice, from the number of crooked bends in it; teeth have been struck from his jaw, and the flesh around his right eye is scored deeply with an old scar, the legacy of an axe blow that didn't quite cripple him but paralyzed a few nerves and nearly took the eye with it. Seen naked, the rest of his body shares in this; scars cover arms and legs, from deep cuts with swords, the talons of ghouls, and all manner of other weapons. He is usually clothed in roughspun breeches and shirts, sometimes layered with soft linens inside and furs outside when the weather turns chill, often a warm coat or a thick wrap. Were it not for the broadsword - good Scarlet steel - at his waist, the mail worn over his shirt, and the brown tabard worn over it, he would appear nothing but a farmer. Only in battle does he dress as a true soldier, in gleaming plate and chain from his Crusading days; while no Poor Knight, he has taken the commandment to dress plainly to heart. The sole exception lies in the gold wedding ring on his remaining hand's ring finger. History Childhood and Early Years Born in 582 to John and Elizabeth Harker, Frederick's childhood was dominated by three forces. His father had served as a prominent member of Sir Isaiah Marshall's personal guard, often away for long periods and imposing himself in the home on his return as a powerful, domineering, and often cruel figure, informing Frederick's vision of the masculine identity. His mother, Elizabeth, was herself an extremely proud nationalist, and raised Frederick to believe in the complete and total supremacy of the Kingdom of Lordaeron over all the creatures of Azeroth, especially the other Kingdoms. The third force, exerting the longest lasting pull, was the collection of antiquated theological texts that formed the backbone of the young man's education in reading and writing, consisting of texts drawn from the history of the Orthodox Church of the Holy Light, the work of late Arathorian Deist philosophers, and modern heterodoxical Light-worshippers. The combination of the three instilled in Frederick a strong sense of patriotism, a zeal for the Light's service, and a fervent desire to be strong and hard enough to withstand any and all hardships: all qualities that lead him naturally to the road he has since taken. Second War Blahblah, enlisted early, etcetera. During the Battle of Tyr's Hand, Frederick returned to his birthplace to combat the peasant uprising fomented by the treacherous forces of the Kingdom of Alterac, serving for the first time along the Knights of the Silver Hand. Some weeks later, as the Horde stormed the city, Frederick received his first real injury, one that left him near death and behind the lines for much of the remaining war: A blow from an Orcish axe across his face, largely deflected by his shield, cut into the young man's face, chipping the bone of his skull. It proved near fatal, and only by the swift intervention of one of the Knights saved his life, and his eye. Reconstruction Period With the close of the war, many veterans found themselves in the unenviable situation of suddenly being not only unemployed, but badly injured or outright crippled. While many of them chose to move south with the Reconstruction, Frederick refused to leave his homeland and remained in Tyr's Hand - with the support of his father's master, Sir Isaiah. Hired to fill his dead sire's shoes in Isaiah's personal guard, Frederick became a prominent sight in the city's halls of powers and at gatherings of nobles, unmistakeable thanks to his gruesome wound and his otherwise striking features; as a result, he was selected as one of the two dozen wounded 'common soldiers' who would be celebrated in heroic portraits by the finest painters of the city. It was during these politically intense years that Frederick was introduced to his liege's niece, Ekaterina Marshall. The two wed in 601KY in a solemn ceremony in the cathedral, sponsored by Isaiah and his brother, Alessandro. Category:Reformist Faith Category:Scarlet Crusade